It is hard to even imagine in this environmentally conscious state that any of the elected leaders and legislators would consider proposing legislation that could destroy any advances made throughout the years toward improving and safekeeping the environment.

However, it is happening right now.

Currently there are at least 50 proposals from state representatives that will negatively affect the state’s environment and the way people live. Five of those proposals suggest elimination or reduction of Maine’s current “returnable beverage container initiative” — the so-called bottle bill.

Maine’s bottle law has been successfully in place for 35 years and has proven to help Maine remain a cleaner, environmentally responsible state. Due to the current bottle law, 90 percent of all beverage containers sold in Maine get recycled. That reduces the impact to landfills and transfer stations, which saves money for the municipalities.

The major reason these legislative proposals are on the table in Augusta has nothing to do with what the people of Maine might want, but has everything to do with what the Maine Beverage Associations (the distributors) want.

They wish not to deal with recycling anymore, claiming it’s too costly for them. There is always a certain responsibility and “cost of doing business” involved with any business enterprise, and certainly the beverage industry has the means to absorb the costs of helping the environment. We all do it on a daily basis in our own lives.

Paul F. Coburn, owner

Old Mill Redemption Center, Kingfield